Thirty-one MPs tested negative for Covid-19 - Sergeant-at-Arms of Parliament | Sunday Observer
“No danger, on a good footing”

Thirty-one MPs tested negative for Covid-19 - Sergeant-at-Arms of Parliament

17 January, 2021

All 31 Parliamentarians who underwent Polymerize Chain Reaction (PCR) tests have been tested negative for Covid-19, Sergeant-at-Arms of Parliament Narendra Fernando said.

He said 980 Parliament employees come under the purview of the Secretary General of Parliament. However, there are nearly 1,500 persons working in the Parliament complex each day including Police officers, bank staff, post office staff and the employees of the Chief Government Whip office.

Fernando said 900 Parliament staff and others at the complex were subjected to PCR tests and all their reports have tested negative for Covid-19.

“Therefore, we have stopped conducting PCR tests for the Parliament staff as almost 80 percent of our employees had already undergone PCR tests. The health authorities have said that we are not in danger and we are on a very good footing. At present there is no alarming issue with regard to Covid-19 in Parliament.

However, it is up to the Parliament authorities to take all precautionary measures and strictly adhere to the health guidelines,” he said.

Earlier, steps were taken to disinfect the parliamentary premises and conduct PCR tests on Parliament staff and MPs after Members of Parliament Dayasiri Jayasekara, Rauff Hakeem and Vasudeva Nanayakkara had tested positive for Covid-19 last week.

The meeting of the Committee on Parliamentary Business, which was scheduled to be held on Wednesday (January 13), has been rescheduled for tomorrow, January 18 on the instructions of the Speaker. The meeting of the Committee on Parliamentary Business would decide on the Business of the House for the Parliamentary Week which is due to commence on January 19.

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